(May 8, 2009) –With Relay for Life quickly approaching, many students once again are filled with excitement and pride to be part of such a touching and inspirational event. This will be Clark’s third year participating as a team. Relay for Life is a 24-hour event created to remember loved ones lost to cancer, support those who are battling cancer and raise money in an effort to fight against cancer. The event will begin on the Clark field on May 16 at 9 a.m. and will conclude on May 17 at 9 a.m. This year’s team, called Clark Can, already has over 60 people signed up. They have set a goal of raising $7,000 by the end of the event, and have collected $2,000 so far. Planning the event are Clark’s three team captains: junior Francesca Valencia, junior Satenik Melkumyan and senior Alin Jaboyan. Their two coordinators are teachers Carol Pettegrew and Chris Axelgard. The three team captains attend a monthly American Cancer Society meeting to discuss how to get people involved and raise more money. The event will begin with cancer survivors making their first lap around the field. Those participating in the event will stand in the middle of the field, clapping and cheering the cancer survivors on as they complete their first lap. The rest of the day is filled with music, entertainment, fundraisers and people walking and running laps around the field. In the evening, the Luminaria Ceremony will begin, and luminarias that people purchased and decorated earlier will be placed and lit while people walk around the field in silence holding candles. “It’s the culminating event of the evening,” Pettegrew said. “The whole atmosphere changes.” After the Luminaria Ceremony, the craziness of the day is replaced by a calmer ambiance, and the rest of the night is spent relaxing and enjoying time together. Those interested in participating at the event can sign up online at http://www.RelayForLife.org/FoothillsCA.